Illusion device



April 2, 1935. I w H, CHANDLEE 1,996,457

ILLUSION DEVICE Original Filed June 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6.

April 2, 1935. w. H. CHANDLEE 1,996,457

ILLUSION DEVICE Original Fi led June 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATE ILLUSION DEVICE William H. Chandlee, Washington, D. C. 1

Application June 21, 1932, Serial No. 618,557 Renewed August 27, 1934 6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in illusion devices, and particularly to illusion devices which are especially adapted for use in show window advertising.

: 5 The principal object of the invention is to prothe remaining portions of the person remain in plain view during the act of applying and removing the articles of apparel, or while walking around, to display the articles.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cabinet, forming the subject-matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional view on the line 3+3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking toward the rear of the cabinet.

' Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 4, looking toward the front of the cabinet.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-45 of Figure 2.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a cabinet, represented as a whole by the numeral I II. This cabinet includes the longitudinal central compartment I I, and the two side compartments I2, each of the latter being arranged at a side of the forward portion of the central compartment, and separated therefrom by the short vertical walls I3, above which are the openings I4, said walls rising from the floor I5, which is common to all of the compartments. Across the front of the cabinet is a wall I6, in the center of which is formed a vertical sight opening I'I, permitting a view into the central compartment II, the portions of said front wall, at each side of said opening, inclining laterally and outwardly from the plane of said opening, as at I B. The central compartment I I extends rearwardly beyond the rear walls of the side compartments I2, as shown in Figure 2. Supported on the rear face of a panel 20, which is I I, as will be explained later herein, for i1lumi-:::-

nating the rear of said compartment and the occupant. Depending from the ceiling, in each of the side compartments I2, is a lamp ,22," and mounted in the upper portion of thefront opening IT, in concealed position behind the dependings' shield 23,'is a. lamp 24.

Suspended in the forward portion of the central compartment II, in a planeslightly above that of the upper sides of the walls I B by-means of the bracket arms 25, mounted in said'compartment, is a table or shelf 26, the rear of which is cut out to form a rectangular notch 2L- -'Within this notch are secured the lower edges of the two vertical, right-angularly meeting transparent mirrors 28, said mirrors extending upwardly to said ceiling, where their upper edges are properly secured therein. The rear vertical edges of the mirrors are secured within grooves 29, in the rear vertical walls of the'side openings I4,

just above the said bracket arms 25,; A vertical" strip of suitable material 30, is mounted to, extend vertically between the surface of the'table, at the front corner thereof, and the ceiling, said strip being longitudinally grooved at 3|, to receive the front meeting edges of the mirrors, for the purpose of concealing said .meeting edges from the view of the observer, standing in front of the cabinet, and to hide the fact that anything lies between the observer and the rear of the compartment II, to obstruct his view.

Disposed on the table, in front of each of the mirrors, in position to be reflected therein, is an object 26', which in the present illustration is a womans shoe, said shoe being so positioned, with respect to the adjacent mirrors, that their combined reflections, with the reflection of the table, as seen by the observer, produce the illusion of a third shoe, resting on the table intermediate the two shoes, and behind them. It will be particularly noted that the shoe on the right, as seen in Figure 2, lies in parallel relation with the right-hand mirror, with its toe directed toward the observer, while the other shoe is arranged at approximately right angles to the other mirror, with its toe toward the mirror. When viewed from either side of the center, the observer sees the two shoes, and the complete reflection of the near shoe, while when viewed from the center, he sees partial reflections of both of the shoes, simultaneously in the mirrors,

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which produce the illusion of the third shoe, and at the same time sees the two shoes which lie upon the table or shelf.

In each of the side compartments I2 is arranged a chair 33, and in the rear portion of the central compartment ll, behind the mirrors, is a third chair 34, the lower portion of which is visible, at all times, below the table 26, while the upper -.portion is,-,under certainqconditions, ,completelylhiddenifromthe view .ofthe observer, by the said transparent mirrors. The chairs 33 are so positioned, with respect to the rear chairzifi, and the mirrors, that the upper portions of said side chairs will be reflected in the mirr0rs-to-pro duce the illusion of the upper-.portion= qf-=,th,em;ear chair being seen. Thus the observer sees the lower portions of the chair '34, below-the table 28, and the reflections of the upper portions of the chairs 33, which produce the illusion -;of ,a complete chair at the rear of the cabinet.

:Depending from the front edge of the table :26 :is-apanel 36, which serves toconceal, :from

the eye of the observer, certain parts of-the rear chair 34, and parts of the person-occupying :=the same, as .well as the entire lamp 3?, :which is supported on the =lower -face of the table, adja pent the front-edge thereof.

' When the upper -light :Z-l =extinguished, the

portion of the cabinet, behind the mirrors, willbe i in darkness, while the i-ront 1 portion thereof, and the side compartments, will be illuminated, -by means ofthe -lightsflll ,"31;and'-2/2 whereb y the side chairs, and the two shoes-will beqefleoted in the mirrors.

The lower portion of the rear chair will also be illuminated by the lamp 531. Ehe upper portionof the rear chair-willbe concealed from i8W,' butth6 reflections of the upper portions of the-side chairs 33 supply,=to the observer, the-'missing-upper portion of --said rear chair, so that :he appears :tosee the entire rear chair.

"While'the parts are in'the conditions above :described, a :woman enters the rear :portion of 'the compartment H from the 1 side of =the cabinet and completelyoutof view of the observer, except' for' her legs, and-seats -herself on the chair 34, whereupon her feet and'legs become visible below the :table 26, while -herupper portion is hidden'behind the-mirrors. 'The--.shoes .are also withinthe-view of the observen-together with the reflected third-shoe. The person-proseeds tochange her-shcesand stockings, and to rise and walk around, or assumeposes, =for-the purpose of :displaying the shoes and stockings, which :are fully illuminated, and in plainv-iew 'beneath'the'table, while the upper-portion of the woman is completely hidden, due to -the nontransparency of the mirrors, at that time. When the'person seats herself on the chair 34,:t-he reflections of thebacks of the chairs 33 will "be :seen. 'The person now turns on the light 2|, which illuminates her upper portion, whereupon theentire body and legs are seen, but with the comparatively faint view of the chair'back apparently visible through-her body. This is'due to the fact that the lamp 2| has a greater luminosity than the other lamps. However, the said other-lamps are of suflicient luminosity 'to maintain the reflections of the side chairs, so that the back of the rear chair 34 may appear to be seen through the persons body. Theperson at the rear of the mirrors may .thuscause upper portion to appear and disappear .at

It is to be particularly noted that the lamps 22, 24, and 31 remain lighted, at all times, which adds, greatly, to the illusion.

Thus two illusions take place, at the same time, the illusion of the three shoes on the table, and the bodyless legs, which are always in view below the table.

What is claimed is:

l. :Antillusion deviceteomprisingh cabinet havsingla central gcompartmentsprovidediwith a sight opening, a pair of angularly disposed mirrors amounted in said compartment, and identically appearing objects each positioned in such rela- 'tion -to one of said mirrors that the combined rewflections in. th e:mirrors of the objects produce the illusion of another object of the same appearance.

"2. Anillusion device comprising a cabinet, a support spaced from the bottom of the cabinet, transparent mirrors on the support, identically zappearingobjectaon the support/each arranged with relationzto. a mnirror whereby the combined -reflections1-in=the mirrors :of said objects will produce the illusion-of :another like object, an 0b- .ziect-inuthe wear of said amirrrors andpar-tlyvisible :below :said support, Land means for :illuminating :;the last namedzcbjectatztimes.

3. .-Anzillusi on-:device-comprisingsa cabinethav- :ingiat central :compartment 'landdateral compartments opening intorsthercentralcompartment, a"-l :.table supported .:in: the central-compartment bertween ,the: lateral leompartments, :transparent an- .1gularly meeting mirrorssupported:on-and producinga: reflectioniof dzhertable, identically-.= appearing :objects ;-.in the :lateral compartments v and posiiil35 finned :to produce ireflections .in the :mirrors, an object in the centrallcompartment behind said :mirrors, a part :of *thezobject intthe :centralcompartment *being constantly visible below said table, athe combined :refleotions :in :the amirrors rot-110 the upper portions of the objects .in the lateral :eompartments producing the illusionnf the upper sportion :of the rear object, identically appearing objects on said table positioned to produce reflecstiOIlS in'the-mirrors and .in such relation-to the-1&5

mirrors that their combined reflections-therein proclucezthe illusion: of another obj ect orrthe: table, and a lighting system-constructed and arranged to permit the object behind the mirrors to be seen therethrough-attimes. M

4. An illusion device including a cabinet having a sightopening, a support in the cabinet, angularly disposed transparent-mirrors onthe support-and reflecting the same, identically appearing objects on the support, each arranged -wi-threlation to;a mirror to reflect therein and-being so positioned that the combined reflections of the ,objectsand the reflection oft-he support will produce the illusion of another like object on the support.

5. An illusion device comprising a cabinet having a sightopening, a pair of angularlydisposed glass panels mounted in said cabinet, said panels being adapted to reflect and to be transparent, identically appearing objects each positionedin such relation to, one of. said panels that the combined reflections of the objects produce the illusion of another obiectof thesameappearance, means for illuminating said objects, an object in position to be seen through the-panels, andl' means for illuminating said last named object'at times.

6. -'An illusion device comprising a cabinet having a central compartment provided :witha sight :opening, side compartments opening .into :said

central compartment, a, pair of angularly disposed transparent mirrors in the central compartment, identically appearing objects in the side compartments, said objects being in a position to pro- 5 duce reflections thereof in the mirrors and to produce, cooperatively, by reflecting in said mirrors, the illusion of a, third object, an object behind the mirrors, and a system of lights to cause reflections of the first-named objects in the mirtors, and to permit the object behind the mirrors to be seen therethrough at times.

WILLIAM H. CHANDLEE. 

